BECOMING VISIBLE Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena steps to the forefront to become accessible to all
When the mother of a 12-year-old boy with autism tweeted her displeasure about their family’s experience at Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena, Antony Bonavita, CVE, sprang into action. The re- sponse of Antony and his team started a process that has helped im- prove how this venue — and others nationwide — welcome guests who live with invisible disabilities. The story begins at The Q, as the arena is widely known, on
Autism Awareness Night, Feb. 27, 2016. An imaginative and wide-ranging promotion was in progress to increase awareness of the developmental disorder and raise money for the Cleveland chap- ter of Autism Speaks, a national advocacy organization.
Q, eager to watch the Cleveland Monsters host the Rockford Ice- Hogs in an American Hockey League match.
to light. As a result of Carson’s autism, he is nonverbal — he does not speak. Instead, he communicates with the help of an electronic de- vice that hangs from his neck. As Amy Belles told CBS News, “We had trouble going through security and the security guard not understanding what Carson’s device was or what it was used for.” The guard told the Belleses that Carson wouldn’t be allowed to enter the arena with his device. Carson, in response, felt anxious. He and his parents were upset. The next morning, Amy Belles took to Twitter to express her frus-
tration. The Q’s customer service team responded just 47 minutes later, eager to understand her concern.
30 Facility Manager Magazine
Providing a Facility Accessible to the Entire Community
The Q’s mission statement is posted on its website: “We create extraordinary experiences. All the time. For everyone.” “When we realized we had overlooked accommodations for guests
like Carson and his parents, it made an impact on us,” Bonavita said. He’s the senior vice president, facility operations, for the NBA’s Cleve- land Cavaliers, the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, the Arena Football League’s Cleveland Gladiators, the NBA G League’s Canton Charge, and Quicken Loans Arena. “We believe in doing the right thing,” he said. “We feel an obliga- tion to provide facilities and venues that are accessible and available to everyone who want to attend our events. What we mean to this city comes with that responsibility. “This situation really opened our eyes. There was a whole group of people who weren’t coming to our venue because they thought they couldn’t. “And, of course, it’s good business to be as accessible and accommo-
dating as we can be.” As Bonavita explored the Belleses’ experience, he realized the need
needs.
Experts from the highly respected Cleveland Clinic were brought in to educate the entire organization — 350 full-time and part-time em- “As we’ve moved forward, this training has become part of our
onboarding for part-time employees in guest services and security,”
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